With their highly anticipated debut album Back to Back arriving this Friday, April 25th, Vermont-based singer-songwriter Reid Parsons (they/she) shares one final preview: the glowing, intricately crafted single “Lightbulb.” Romantic, sinewy, and quietly radiant, “Lightbulb” is a celebration of enduring love and the subtle magic tucked inside life’s simplest moments.
“I wrote this song for a special person’s special day—one they pretend isn’t special at all,” Parsons shares. “It’s about someone who’s bursting with hope but wears a layer of playful cynicism to keep things in check. They’re the kind of person who lights up a room with their laugh, but also reminds you not to take things too seriously.”
Built around a crisp, hip-hop-inspired groove, “Lightbulb” floats on a delicate lattice of fingerpicked acoustic guitar, metronomic keys, and bass. Ethereal pedal steel and cello drift above it all, punctuated by sparkling guitar lines and descending classical runs reminiscent of chamber pop. The result is a lovingly crafted soundscape—described by Parsons as “a little, delicate but ornately decorated music box”—that balances clarity and complexity, groundedness and dreaminess.
The song’s central metaphor—“a little lightbulb on the ceiling”—offers a humble counterpoint to the grandiosity so often found in pop love songs. “There are no chandeliers or fancy LEDs in this picture,” Parsons explains. “Just a warm, steady glow—something simple but lasting. That’s how I think about love.”
“Lightbulb” is the third and final single from Back to Back, following the bossa nova-tinged title track and the bluesy anthem of resilience, “Get Out of Bed,” which was recently featured by The Big Takeover, who praised Parsons as “one of Vermont’s most compelling musical voices.” Engineered by Ben Collette (Trey Anastasio, Susan Tedeschi, Sharon Jones) and recorded live to tape at Burlington’s Tank Recording Studio, Back to Back is a stunning debut—an orchestral Americana record steeped in soul, folk, jazz, and classical influences.
Rooted in the slow, natural rhythms of their home state, Parsons’ songwriting is deeply informed by place, architecture, and human connection. “Music has always been where I can build a world to embrace all parts of myself,” they say. From tender reflections on intimacy to wry meditations on mental health, Back to Back invites listeners into that world—a thoughtfully constructed space where hope and realism coexist.
Raised in Moretown, VT, Parsons’ musical foundation includes childhood car rides scored by Lucinda Williams and Steely Dan, classical composition studies, and a long-running love affair with jazz and blues. They cut their teeth performing at the now-defunct Purple Moon Pub—once a launchpad for Grace Potter—and fronted a 13-piece soul and Motown band while studying music and anthropology. Back to Back was funded through a successful crowdfunding campaign and day jobs in farming and food systems, reflecting the same quiet integrity found in the music itself.
In support of the album, Parsons has announced a series of new live dates across Vermont this spring and summer, including a hometown release show on June 12th at Foam in Burlington. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit reidparsons.com.
Reid Parsons – Upcoming Tour Dates
Saturday, May 3 – Marigold Gallery – Burlington, VT
Friday, June 6 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT
Thursday, June 12 – Foam (Album Release Show) – Burlington, VT
Saturday, July 5 – Shelburne Vineyard – Shelburne, VT
Back To Back by Reid Parsons
1. Back to Back
2. Get Out of Bed
3. Lightbulb
4. Heavy Load
5. Show Me You Love Me
6. Holiday
7. I’m On Fire
8. Figure It Out
9. Same Old Shit
10. Where Are You Now
